9 September 2026
South Australia has confirmed its status as the world’s copper capital with yet another record-breaking export result, just days after the world’s leading miners, explorers and investors descended on Adelaide for the country’s largest copper event.
Hot off the back of last week’s Copper to the World conference, the Australian Bureau of Statistics announced yet another record haul for South Australian copper, with combined exports leaping to $5.57 billion for the year to July 2026.
This follows a record reported last month – $5.3 billion for the 2025–26 financial year.
It comes after more than 600 delegates from around the world last week gathered in Adelaide for Copper to the World, Australia's premier copper conference, reinforcing South Australia’s position at the centre of the global conversation.
The annual two-day conference opened the global industry’s eyes to the vast opportunity in South Australia’s copper reserves, with the state home to two-thirds of Australia's known copper resources.
While the enormous potential of BHP’s existing copper operations in the state’s far north is already making waves internationally, Copper to the World 2026 showcased other exciting emerging projects across South Australia. Explorers and developers including Sandfire Resources, Rex Minerals, Discover Co and Havilah Resources led the charge showcasing South Australia’s world-class capability and geology to an international audience.
Speaking at last week’s conference Rupert Verco, CEO and Managing Director of Cobra Resources Plc Resource, currently advancing the Manna Hill copper project in the Nackara Arc province in the state’s mid north, said it was great to be operating in South Australia because of its “excellent geological survey and unrivalled pre competitive data that will help accelerate the next copper discovery."
